CBD products are a waste of money and potentially dangerous, according to a new study which has found they do nothing to help chronic pain.
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is found in the cannabis plant, but has no psychoactive properties. In recent years it has grown as a popular alternative treatment for pain, sold online and in shops in a variety of forms including oils, creams, vapes and edibles.
However, a new study led by Bath University has found not only is there no evidence it can reduce chronic pain, but CBD products may contain other chemicals which could be harmful or illegal, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component behind the cannabis ‘high’.
In addition, some products contained no CBD, while others contained much more than advertised.
‘CBD presents consumers with a big problem,’ said Professor Chris Eccleston, who led the research from the Centre for Pain Research at Bath. ‘It’s touted as a cure for all pain but there’s a complete lack of quality evidence that it has any positive effects.
‘It’s almost as if chronic pain patients don’t matter, and that we’re happy for people to trade on hope and despair.’
Non-medical CBD is freely available in the UK, US and many European countries, provided there are no or negligible quantities of THC. However, they are not currently covered by stringent trade standards, meaning the quality and content of products can vary massively.
They may also contain levels of THC that make them illegal.
Unfortunately, many are willing to take the risk. Around 20% of the adult population are thought to live in pain, leaving them desperate for new treatments.
Co-author Dr Andrew Moore said: ‘For too many people with chronic pain, there’s no medicine that manages their pain. Chronic pain can be awful, so people are very motivated to find pain relief by any means.
‘This makes them vulnerable to the wild promises made about CBD.’
He added that healthcare regulators appear reluctant to address those selling inferior or misleading products, possibly due to the CBD market generating millions – or in some cases billions – in trade.
In the UK, estimated sales in 2021 hit £690 million, while in the US, the CBD market was an estimated $3 billion the same year.
‘What this means is that there are no consumer protections,’ said Dr Moore. ‘And without a countervailing body to keep the CBD sellers in check, it’s unlikely that the false promises being made about the analgesic effects of CBD will slow down in the years ahead.’
The authors have called for pain to be taken more seriously, with consumer protection a priority.
Pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma famously used addressing pain management to market its drug OxyContin, which was found to be highly addictive and contributed to a nationwide opioid epidemic.
‘Untreated chronic pain is known to seriously damage quality of life, and many people live with pain every day and for the rest of their lives,’ said Professor Eccleston. ‘Pain deserves investment in serious science to find serious solutions.’
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